T5 vs. T8

[zlew]

I've heard a bunch of different sides to this, and can't get a good read on it. Are T5's harmful to chameleons? I know they give off more light and UVB, which is why I'm looking into it, because my cages are a little dark, but I've always kind of noticed this unspoken consensus that T5 tube lights are bad.

 

[frankpayne32]

I've heard a bunch of different sides to this, and can't get a good read on it. Are T5's harmful to chameleons? I know they give off more light and UVB, which is why I'm looking into it, because my cages are a little dark, but I've always kind of noticed this unspoken consensus that T5 tube lights are bad.

I don't think anyone will tell you that T5 high output lights are bad. The put out more light and more UV per watt than T8. Only drawback is the initial upfront cost. I've never read or heard about them being harmful in some way.

 

[Decadancin]

When I switched to a T5 HO setup I was amazed at the difference, and the enclosure was definitely brighter! Also, my chameleon was more active and showed more colors than before. There are no real downsides unless possibly when talking about very young chameleons. In that case I might raise the fixture up a bit or add a few pieces of screen between the lights and the enclosure.

As for T5's being harmful, the simple answer is NO. Some are going to say that too much UVB light can harm your cham, but many of us keep our animals under T5 12% Arcadia UVB bulbs and our chameleons are doing very well. I personally have a quad T5 fixture with one UVB and three plant bulbs and an amazing reflector and have had no issues. All you need to do is make sure your chameleon can escape to the cover of foliage if needed.

You could even add some LED lights to the enclosure if all you were concerned with is brightness. There are some cool new products out there!

Hope that helps .

 

[panther67]

IMO one needs to be careful with the T5's as the levels of uvb are a lot stronger. If one has a meter they can adjust their perches accordingly.

 

[Mike Fisher]

I use T5HO 6500K's no UVB.

 

[Garrett]

The arcadia t5's put out a lot of uvb, where you position them in the enclosure depends on the species you're keeping. A uvb meter is almost a necessity to set these up correctly if you're not familiar with their output.
Just for reference here's a meter reading of a 48" fixture with two 6% arcadias a couple inches away (easy for you animal to get this close if you just plunk the light on top of your screen cage and your perches are near the top.) I think the highest reading I've seen outside was in the 300s at noon on a sunny day in in summer, but I do live in Seattle. ymmv

 

[SycoSquirl]

I went from a double dome light system on timers to a single dome t5 light system. Not only is my cage brighter, my chameleon shows his colors more, is more energetic, and eats more. Buying my T5, while was a bit expensive, was beyond worth the cost. I now have a rain dome as well as the light system so all that is left to make it 100% self sustainable is having an automatic feeder system set up but for now I have friends feed him and check on his water levels when Im gone for more than a few days haha If you have the financial stability to afford a T5 I would say to go for it 100%.